Category: Running Gear

I think that we can all agree that one of the things that make Disney races so fun are the costumes. People get so creative and it adds to the fun atmosphere. Tutus are generally the costume of choice for most women (and men!) and this is particularly true over Princess Half Marathon Weekend. Just look at all of these tutus!

When Missy from Tutu-da-loo reached out to me about her custom running tutus, I knew it would be the perfect thing to share will all of you RAD runners! Missy celebrated her 40th birthday by participating in Walt Disney World’s Inaugural Princess Half Marathon. This was her first race EVER! She had never been a runner and was, as she says “by no means in shape.” It was something she really wanted to do and with her sister by her side they did it!. Obviously, she was hooked!

While she had a wonderful experience, Missy admits to being jealous of everyone in their beautiful tutus. She wore a tiara but, it wasn’t quite the same as having a tutu on. The decision was then made that she MUST wear a tutu from that point forward. The tutu making began when a friend asked Missy to participate in her first race. Since then she has made tutus for many other runners and found such joy in making each and every one.

Tutu-da-loo specializes in custom tutus and can accommodate any special requests. You can pick from a number of colors and styles to create a one of a kind look! The tutus can be basic like these:

Or more elaborate like these:

Aren’t they fun?!

Now for the great news! Missy at Tutu-da-loo has offered to make one lucky RAD reader their own basic tutu from one to three colors! These will be like the white and pink ones above. Once the winner is picked, you will be able to work directly with Missy to pick your design! Simply use the forms below to enter up to 12 times…it’s that easy!

The contest will go until Sunday when I will select the winner and announce them in my RAD Recap for May 3, 2014. Good luck!

First shoes, now bras! Pretty soon you are going to be able to be 100% decked out in runDisney gear for races.

Recently, Champion Athleticwear introduced the Marathon Sports Bra. This is a high-impact bra that is ultra-lightweight and designed to not cause chafing…oh please say this is true! Chafing is my worst enemy.

After feedback from many runDisney participants, Champion designed a version of this bra specifically for runDisney! It’s red and features a picture of Minnie Mouse on it…how cool 🙂

This bra will be exclusively sold at the Health & Fitness Expo during the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend taking place January 8 – 11, 2014. Anyone interested in picking one up for me??? I just love it and the design looks super comfy!

Will you be getting a Minnie Marathon Bra? What other runDisney items would you you like to see?

So not only are runDisney and New Balance releasing all new Mickey and Minnie themed running shoes for 2014, today they announced that 2 new characters will get their own shoes as well!! Goofy and Cinderella!!

The original runDisney running shoe is the 860 model, a stability shoe that is good for most runners. It offers support and comfort for both experienced and new runners. This will be the same model for 2014 with Sorcerer Mickey and Princess Minnie (see the new designs here) adorning the shoe.

With the new characters, there also comes a new shoe! The 890v4 model is a lighter shoe that is built for speed! New Balance describes it as a lightweight shoe for the runner that is looking for a “faster experience.” Is that you?? The shoe only weighs 6.64 ounces and has an 8mm drop giving a more natural feel to your stride. The men’s version will feature Goofy and the women’s version will feature Cinderella. Check out this video for a sneak peak of the designs:

I think this is a GREAT addition to the runDisney New Balance line and a smart move on their part. Not all runners are the same and it’s great to offer a variety of options to fit multiple needs.

It looks like the full reveal of all the shoes will come in January 2014, probably over WDW Marathon Weekend, so make sure to stay tuned for that!

What shoe are you looking forward to most? What other characters would you like to see on runDisney New Balance shoes?

I’ve been asked by a few people who are getting ready for Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend what I pack for big race events. It has taken quite a few races to get that nailed down, but I think after having traveled for 8 different race weekends I finally have a pretty solid packing list. SO I wanted to share it with you to help you a long to way if you are struggling with what to bring.

Race Gear

Now this is subjective for everyone, but here is what I bring when running multiple races in a weekend:

Fuel Belts – For half marathons or longer, I run with 2 fuel belts (strange, I know). I love my Amphipod for it’s large water bottles and storage pocket for all my fuel. I also like the iFitness belt to hold my phone and race bib so I don’t have to pin it to my shirt.

Gu – Chocolate Outrage has always been my go to fuel. I always bring enough with me for all the races because you never know what will be available at the expo or on the course.

Sunscreen – This is definitely needed for morning races. You may be starting off in the dark, but that sun rises quickly!

Things for the Feet

I need to bring a variety of shoes during a race weekend. Yes, there are my running shoes but there are a few other items that are a necessity to keep my feet happy!

Running Shoes – I always wear my running shoes on the plane whenever I travel for a race. Who knows what could happen to your luggage while traveling and the last thing you want is for your shoes to get lost. You can always buy new clothes at the expo, but shoes are a different story.

Blister Care – Blisters are a runners worst enemy! Before each race, I cover my feet in Dr. Scholl’s BlisterDefense to help prevent any issues during the race. I also bring blister bandages with me incase any do form.

Foot Wheel – This little gadget is great for soothing tired feet and hardly takes up any room in your luggage.

Post Race Necessities

Recovery is very important while traveling, especially if you plan on touring Disney parks post race or if you are jumping on a plane shortly after. You want to be comfortable! Here’s what I bring with me to make sure my tired legs recover as quickly as possible:

Disclosure: The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Polar.

Lately I’ve been curious about my heart rate and if I’ve been exercising at peak efficiency. You always hear that you should be able to carry on a conversation while running to know you’re within your target heart rate. Well I can very rarely carry on a conversation while running, so I had the feeling that I have been pushing it too hard…looks like I was right.

I was recently given the opportunity through FitFluential to try out the new Polar RC3 GPS Sports Watch with Heart Rate Monitoring and I jumped at that chance. I’ve actually been looking at Polar heart rate monitors lately and had been considering getting one not only to track my heart rate, but to track my calorie burn at CrossFit, so this was a great opportunity.

That’s a lot for a sports watch! I was really impressed by the 12 hours of continuous use and my first thought was “Why didn’t I have this for the WDW Marathon when my Garmin battery died after 6 hours?!?” But there are much more impressive features of this device that you’re probably interested in.

The first thing I did when I received the watch was set up my profile. Age, height, weight, etc… This is used to properly calculate your calorie burn and determine what your average and maximum heart rate should be. This was super easy and only took a few minutes. I wanted to have a full charge on the watch before using it for the first time, so I plugged it into my computer (it comes with a micro USB cable) and let it charge overnight. The next day I strapped on the watch and the heart rate monitor and went out for a run.

Let’s Go!

Two immediate observations. 1. The watch is large. I mean, I guess it needs to be for all the stats it shows, but it just felt a little bulky on my tiny wrists. However, I do have abnormally small wrists. 2. The heart rate monitor is very comfortable. The strap is soft and flexible and the monitor itself is very small. I hardly noticed it was there.

There are eight different views you can choose from while using the watch. They vary between focusing on time, heart rate, distance, elevation or a combination of all of those things. Since I run walk, I like to have the time front and center so I can keep track of my intervals, so I chose the option that showed time, distance and heart rate (I think it was 4). It was very interesting to see how my heart rate varied with each interval or with a difficult stretch of road. Look at all these stats I got:

Get ALL the Data!

Clearly, my suspicion was right that my heart race is too high when I’m running. My average rate was 174, which is at 93%. Ideally you want to be at 50-85% during exercise. This is definitely something I’m going to need to work on going forward.

I’ve also tried out the RC3 during a few different CrossFit WODs as well. It really came in handy for the WODs that included running so I could keep track of my pace. I always tend to go out way too strong in those WODs and the tank is completely drained by the end. The watch allowed me to keep more of a steady pace to stay strong through the whole workout. The one gripe I have with it for CrossFit goes back to it’s large size as it tends to get in the way during some of the barbell movements.

CrossFit Calorie Burn

So far, I have really enjoyed all of the features of this sports watch. The GPS and heart rate monitor seem to be very accurate and it’s easy to use. There are still a few features like the fitness test and the training plans that I haven’t checked out yet, but I plan on diving into them in the next few months. Well that’s if B doesn’t steal it first…he’s had his eye on it!

Good news for YOU…the folks over at Polar are offering all RAD Readers a 25% discount on the RC3 GPS! If you’d like to buy this great GPS Sports Watch, simply click ::here:: and use code: “fitfluential” during checkout to receive the discount! This is valid only on the RC3 GPS and will expire on this Saturday, August 31st…so get on it!

Do you have a heart rate monitor? Do you use a GPS Sports Watch? What is your average heart rate during exercise?